GB2484777A

GB2484777A - Sill arrangement of a motor vehicle body

Info

Publication number: GB2484777A
Application number: GB1115984.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bernd Pohl; Roland Leameister; Stefan Stanik
Original assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Current assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Priority date: 2010-10-19
Filing date: 2011-09-15
Publication date: 2012-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 2031-09-15
Also published as: CN102530093A; GB2484777B; CN102530093B; US8746786B2; US20120091762A1; GB201115984D0; DE102010048851A1

Abstract

A sill arrangement of a motor vehicle body having a sill outer plate 14, a sill inner plate 16, and a side wall outer plate 12. The sill inner plate 16 and the sill outer plate 14 being connected to one another 10 by means of at least one flange 18, 20 extending essentially in the sill longitudinal direction (x), and the side wall outer plate 12 being fastened at least regionally on a lower side 28 of the sill outer plate 14 at a distance from the connecting flange 20. Optionally the sill arrangement outer plate 12 has a recess for receiving a water drain device (46, Figure 7) in a floor section (15, Figure 7). The side wall outer plate 12 may be welded using its attachment flange 19 to the lower side 28 of the sill outer plate 14.

Description

Sill arrangement of a motor vehicle body

Description

Technical Area The present invention relates to a sill arrangement of a motor vehicle body, which has at least one sill outer plate, one sill inner plate, and one side wall outer plate, sill inner plate and sill outer plate being connected to one another by is means of at least one connecting flange which extends in the sill longitudinal direction.

Background

With respect to a desirable reduction of the fuel consumption and an accompanying minimization of the emission gases in operation of motor vehicles, it is desirable to continuously minimize the vehicle weight. In addition to the use of light construction materials, in particular a reduction of the size and number of parts of individual vehicle body components certainly comes into consideration in vehicle body construction for this purpose.

Thus, Figures 1 and 2 show a sill arrangement 100 known in the prior art, in which, according to the cross-section in Figure 2, a sill inner plate 106 forms, with a sill outer plate 104, a sill structure similar to a hollow profile, which is substantially covered or paneled on the outside by a side wall outer plate 102. Sill inner plate 106, sill outer plate 104, and also the side wall outer plate 102 are connected to one another in this case at a common joint 108, 110, formed in each case by a connecting flange of the participating parts, typically by means of welding.

The side waif outer plate 102, which functions as a paneling part, extends, viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x), beyond the longitudinal end of the sill structure located behind it and has an essentially level floor section 112 extending essentially in the vehicle transverse direction (y) adjoining the joint 110. In the further manufacturing process of the motor vehicle body, this floor section 112, which is formed substantially without undercuts, serves as a receptacle for a terminus part 114, which has already been preinstalled on a further vehicle body module, for example, an assembly of a reinforcement ring provided for the vehicle door. I0

In the course of a modular assembly of reinforcement ring and a side wall structure having the sill structure, it is necessary to join the two prefinished vehicle body modules essentially in the vehicle transverse direction (y). In this case, the terminus part 114 provided with a lower fastening flange 116 is brought essentially in the vehicle transverse direction (y), i.e., from left to right in the view according to Figure 2, along the inner side of the floor section 112 of the side wall outer plate 102 into a final installation position shown in Figure 1, in which the terminus part can essentially close the hollow profile formed by sill inner plate 106, sill outer plate 104, and side wall outer plate 102.

An improved sill arrangement in relation thereto is now to be provided, which allows a reduction of weight, material, and costs, and is implementable as much as possible without adapting the described joining and manufacturing methods.

This object is achieved by a sill arrangement of a motor vehicle body according to Patent Claim 1 and by a motor vehicle body according to Patent Claim 10, furthermore, by a motor vehicle according to Patent Claim 11, individual advantageous embodiments being the subject matter of the respective dependent claims.

The sill arrangement of a motor vehicle body provided here has a sill outer plate, a sill inner plate, and a side wall outer plate. The sill inner plate and the sill outer plate are connected to one another by means of at least one connecting flange extending essentially in the sill longitudinal direction. The mentioned sill plates are typically implemented as half-shells, which each have connecting flanges corresponding to one another, on which the two plates are mutually supported while forming a hollow profile and along which the plate parts are connected to one another, preferably welded.

At least one of the connecting flanges of sill outer plate and sill inner plate is not used in this case to attach and fasten the side wall outer plate. It is thus instead provided that the side wall outer plate is at least regionally fastened on a lower side of the sill outer plate at a distance from the connecting flange. In this way, the side wall outer plate can be implemented as significantly shortened in cross-section with savings of material and weight.

This shortening requires, in comparison to the prior art, a fastening of is the side wall outer plate on the sill outer plate to be provided above the lower connecting flange. The externally visible area of the side wall outer plate is to be implemented as nearly unchanged in this case in comparison to the prior art, to meet predefined requirements of motor vehicle design.

In an advantageous refinement it is provided in particular for this purpose that the side wall outer plate at least sectionally has a floor section, which comes to rest at a predefined distance from the lower side of the sill outer plate in relation to the vehicle vertical direction (z). The floor section of the side wall outer plate is preferably located below the lower side of the sill outer plate, optionally offset thereto in the vehicle transverse direction. A lower visible edge of the side wall outer plate extending essentially in the sill longitudinal direction can therefore be situated spaced apart from the outer contour of the sill outer plate both in the vehicle vertical direction (z) and also in the vehicle transverse direction (y).

In a refinement thereof, it is further provided that the side wall outer plate, viewed in a cross-section essentially perpendicular to the sill longitudinal extension, has a side face adjoining its floor section, which extends to the lower side of the sill outer plate and which comes into contact by means of an attachment flange with the lower side of the sill outer plate. The side wall outer plate is preferably fastenable, by means of the attachment flange extending essentially parallel to the lower side of the sill outer plate, to this lower side, in particular by means of common joining techniques, for example, by means of spot welds or laser welds.

The side face of the side wall outer plate extends, originating from the floor section, upward and inward in relation to the vehicle geometry, until it presses from below against the sill outer plate using its attachment flange, which is preferably oriented parallel to the sill lower side.

According to a further preferred embodiment, a side wall section, a floor section adjoining thereon, and a side face of the side wall outer plate in turn adjoining thereon form a depression viewed in cross-section in relation to the lower side of the sill outer plate, which is enlarged toward the longitudinal edge of the sill is outer plate and/or sill inner plate. I.e., the formation of the lower side wall outer plate attachment on the sill outer plate, which is shortened in cross-section, is not produced over the entire longitudinal extension of sill outer plate and/or side wall outer plate, but rather the side wall outer plate merges toward its longitudinal end into a configuration which is widened in the vehicle transverse direction, and which is essentially based on the shaping of the side wall outer plate known from the prior art.

The side wall outer plate therefore has an essentially unchanged contour on its longitudinal end provided for attachment to further vehicle body components, which allows in particular a terminus part, which is provided for closing the hollow profiles formed by the sill plates and the side wall outer plate, to be transferred in the vehicle transverse direction into the closing position provided for this purpose in the course of an installation process.

It is thus provided that the side face provided between floor section and attachment flange of the sill outer plate tapers toward the longitudinal end of the side wall outer plate or, viewed in the profile transverse direction, merges approximately adjoining the connecting flange of sill inner plate and sill outer plate into a floor section free of undercuts, which extends essentially horizontally inward. -5-.

It is accordingly provided in a further design that the depression formed by side wall, floor section, and side face optionally widens in the vehicle transverse direction, even with the side face detaching or ending toward the longitudinal end of the sill outer plate and/or sill inner plate. In the longitudinal direction, in particular toward the sill end, the side face can adapt itself either abruptly or continuously to the orientation of the floor section.

In particular, the depression, which is exclusively enlarged in the vehicle transverse direction on the sill or outer plate end, forms the lowest-lying area of the side wall outer plate in relation to the vehicle vertical direction.

Therefore, according to a further preferred design, at least one recess for receiving a water drain device is implemented in the floor section of the side wall outer plate. The water drain device can be designed in particular as a drain valve, which is manufactured from plastic and is insertable in a formfitting, friction-locked, and/or force-fitted manner into the recess.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the side wall outer plate is implemented as a deep-drawn part, which has a receptacle area on its longitudinal end, which is widened in the vehicle transverse direction and/or downward to receive a terminus part, and therefore has a cross-sectional geometry deviating from a middle profile section in this area.

Instead of a deep-drawn part made of steel plate, an embossed part can also be used in this case.

According to a further design, the side wall outer plate is welded using its attachment flange, which presses against the lower side of the sill outer plate, to the lower side of the sill outer plate.

Furthermore, it is provided that a terminus part which is implemented as a part or as an integral component of a door reinforcement ring structure and has correspondingly predefined geometric dimensions, comes into contact in each case on the interior, on an end section lying in the sill longitudinal direction, adjoining the floor section and/or adjoining the side wall of the side wall outer plate.

In particular the floor section of the side wall outer plate, which is free of undercuts and is implemented as essentially level in relation to the vehicle transverse direction (y), allows joining of the sill arrangement to the door reinforcement ring construction having the closure part.

The design of the side wall outer plate, which is at least regionally shortened in cross-section and saves material, therefore has no disadvantageous effects for the vehicle body assembly process and can be incorporated substantially without problems in existing manufacturing processes by replacing the individual part side wall exterior, since the interface of the side wall exterior provided at the profile end is implemented as nearly unchanged in comparison to the prior art and is therefore suitable for receiving a terminus part without restrictions or changes in the manufacturing process.

ln addition to the described sill arrangement, according to further preferred aspects, a motor vehicle body and a motor vehicle are also provided, which have at least one of the above-described sill arrangements.

Brief Description of the Figures

Further goals, features, and further advantageous possible applications of the invention are explained on the basis of an exemplary embodiment described hereafter with reference to the drawings. In the figures: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a sill arrangement according to the prior art, Figure 2 shows a cross-section through the arrangement according to Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a sill arrangement viewed from below, Figure 4 shows a further perspective view of the sill arrangement according to Figure 3 viewed diagonally from the front, Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view along section line A-A according to Figure 3, Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view along C-C according to Figure 3, and Figure 7 shows a sectional view along section line B-B according to Figure 4.

Detailed Description

A sill arrangement 10 is shown in the perspective views according to Figures 3 and 4, which is at least regionally paneled to the outside by a side wall outer plate 12. The sill structure formed by sill inner plate 16 and sill outer plate 14 is shown separately in cross-section C-C in Figure 6. The two half-shells 16, 14 forming the side sill are each provided on the top and bottom with attachment flanges, which each press against one another to form an upper joint and a lower joint 18, 20.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the side wall outer plate 12 has a side wall 11, which merges downward in the z direction into a floor section 15.

Originating from the lowest point of the floor section or area 15, a side face 17 extends inward and upward, which finally comes into contact using an attachment flange 19 on a lower side 28 of an essentially horizontally running cross profile section of the sill outer plate 14 and is connected thereto to form a joint there.

A welded connection, in particular a spot weld or laser weld, preferably comes into consideration for this purpose. In the floor section 15, which tapers approximately to a point downward, shown in Figure 6, the side wall outer plate 12 forms a visible edge predefined in accordance with the design requirements.

On the interior, the side wall 11, the floor section 15, and the side face 17 form a depression 38, which, viewed in the vehicle transverse direction (y), forms an undercut, which could not be closed using a terminus part 30 to be inserted in the vehicle transverse direction (y) in the further progress of the vehicle body assembly.

For this reason, the side wall outer plate 12 has a discontinuous cross-sectional profile viewed in the profile longitudinal direction. While it is implemented as quasi-shortened in the vehicle transverse direction (y) in the cross-section according to Figure 6 and adjoins the sill lower side 28, the cross-sectional profile merges toward the profile end into a shape shown in Figure 5 in cross-section A-A.

In comparison to the cross-sectional profile according to Figure 6, the side face 17 no longer runs inward and upward, but rather extends essentially parallel to the floor section 28 of the sill outer plate 14, more or less in linear extension of the apex of the floor section 15 in the direction toward the flange section 20 of sill outer plate 14 and sill inner plate 16.

In the cross-sectional view according to Figure 5, the sill outer plate 14 is no longer explicitly shown, since it is implemented as shorter in the sill longitudinal direction (x) than the sill inner plate 16 shown and the side wall outer plate 12. In the cross-section according to Figures, the attachment of the terminus part 30, which is shown in perspective in Figure 4, to the side wall outer plate 12 is also shown. The terminus part 30 has a front face 34, which essentially closes the hollow profile formed by sill inner plate 16, sill outer plate 14, and side wall outer plate 12.

For fastening on the inner side of the side wall outer plate 12, the terminus part 30 further has fastening flanges 32 oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x), which are supported on the inner side of the floor section 15 of the side wall outer plate 12. Toward the side wall section 11 of the side wall outer plate 12, the terminus part 30 has a set-back tab 35 which protrudes upward in cross-section. In the cross-section shown in Figure 5, the sill inner plate 16 further adjoins a lateral front wall plate 42 on top.

The cross-section of Figure 7 along section line B-B further shows a drain valve 46 inserted into the floor section 15 of the side wall outer plate 12, which is to be inserted into the recess 13, shown in the top view in Figure 3, of the floor section 15 of the side wall outer plate 12, which is implemented as widened in the vehicle transverse direction (y). As is recognizable in Figure 7, the drain valve 46 is situated at the lowest possible point of the floor section 15, so that any possibly S occurring condensed water can drain out due to gravity.

Furthermore, the terminus part 30 is shown in cross-section in Figure 7, which is supported using a lower attachment flange 32 on the upper side of the floor section 15 of the side wall outer plate 12 and is attachable using an upper attachment flange 36 on a further vehicle body component, for example, on an upper wall section of the sill inner plate 16 and/or the sill outer plate 14.

Furthermore, Figures 3, 4, and 7 show a hinge column 26, which forms an extension of a A-column of the motor vehicle body, for example. In addition, a reinforcement plate 44 is shown in Figure 5, which reinforces the area of a vehicle jack receptacle in the connecting flange 20 of the side sill structure.

The illustrated embodiments merely show possible designs of the invention, for which numerous further variants are conceivable and within the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments shown as examples are in no way to be understood as restrictive with respect to the extent, the applicability, or the possible configurations of the invention. The present description merely shows one possible implementation of an exemplary embodiment according to the invention to a person skilled in the art, Greatly varying modifications can thus be performed on the function and arrangement of described elements, without leaving the scope of protection defined by the following patent claims or its equivalents.

-10 -List of reference numerals sill arrangement 11 side wall section 12 side wall outer plate 13 recess 14 sill outer plate floor section 16 sill inner plate 17 sideface 18 joint 19 attachment flange joint 22 joint 26 hinge column 28 floor section terminus part 32 flange section 34 front side 35 tab 36 flange 38 depression 42 lateral frontwall 44 reinforcement plate 46 drain valve sill arrangement 102 side wall outer plate 104 sillouterplate 106 sill inner plate 108 joint joint 112 floor section 114 terminus part 116 flange

Claims

-II -Patent Claims 1. A sill arrangement of a motor vehicle body having a sill outer plate (14), a sill inner plate (16), and a side wall outer plate (12), wherein the sill inner plate (16) and the sill outer plate (14) are connected to one another by means of at least one flange (18, 20) extending essentially in the sill longitudinal direction (x), and the side wall outer plate (12) is at least regionally fastened to the lower side (28) of the sill outer plate (14) at a distance from the connecting flange (20).
2. The sill arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the side wall outer plate (12) at least sectionally has a floor section (15), which comes to rest at a predefined distance from the lower side (28) of the sill outer plate (14) in relation to the vehicle vertical direction (z).
3. The sill arrangement according to Claim 2, wherein the side wall outer plate (12), viewed in cross-section, has a side face (17) adjoining the floor section (15), which extends to the lower side (28) of the sill outer plate (14) and comes into contact with the lower side (28) by means of an attachment flange (19).
4. The sill arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a depression (38), which is formed by a side wall (11), a floor section (15) and a side face (17) of the side wall outer plate (12) in cross-section in relation to the lower side (28) of the sill outer plate (14), is enlarged toward the longitudinal end of the sill outer plate and/or sill inner plate (16).
5. The sill arrangement according to Claim 4, wherein the depression (38) widens in the vehicle transverse direction (y) toward the longitudinal end of the sill outer plate and/or sill inner plate (16).

-12 -
6. The sill arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall outer plate (12) has a recess (13) for receiving a water drain device (46) in its floor section (15).
7. The sill arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall outer plate (12) is implemented as a deep-drawn part.
8. The sill arrangement according to one of preceding Claims 3 to 7, wherein the side wall outer plate (12) is welded using its attachment flange (19) to the lower side (28) of the sill outer plate (14).
9. The sill arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a terminus part (30) having predefined geometric dimensions comes into contact at an end section located in the sill longitudinal direction adjoining the floor section (15) and/or the side wall (11) of the side wall outer plate (12).
10. A motor vehicle body having at least one sill arrangement according to one of the preceding claims.
11. A motor vehicle having at least one sill arrangement according to one of preceding Claims I to 9.